Every once in a while, the dream of picking up and moving to the other side of the world gets hold of me. Cheap rent and rock bottom prices in places like Mexico, the Philippines or Thailand. Exotic women and strange new experiences. The guy in the pic below actually did it, in India.
I watched Hippie Masala on Netflix the other night. The movie follows a handful of Westerners who took the hippie spiritual journey to India pioneered by The Beatles and decided to stay. The subjects were religious seekers and artists. A few of them married Indian women and had children. Below, a YouTube bit from the movie.
The holy man in the pic above is, if I remember correctly, Dutch. He lives now in a cave in India, where he practices Yoga and smokes a lot of ganga.
Since I have family connections in the Philippines, I’ve often thought about living in Cebu, the Karaoke Queen’s hometown. Social security goes a long way. Winter does not exist. Filipino culture is old fashioned, family oriented and slow paced. I’ve been there, and I like it. Who knows what it would be like to actually live there.
Another favorite for Americans is Thailand. I spent quite a bit of time on this site yesterday. Bangkok is not cheap, but the countryside is. A retiree could live very well on a Social Security check. It’s always hot.
The attraction for most American ex-pats is, of course, those beautiful and old fashioned Thai women. If you want an old fashioned, cheerful, devoted wife, you can undoubtedly find that in Thailand. Take Fred Reed’s advice and don’t get involved with a bar girl. Take your time and find a sensible girl from a good family out in the countryside.
I’ll probably stay home. Granddaughter on the way. Old Dawgz revving up for another season. But, I can dream. Maybe I’ll just have to be satisfied with an occasional winter in Cebu.
There are countless people who move to other parts of the planet and never return to their original home. I think we should not confuse the world traveler, or travelers with the word moved. These people moved to the other end of the planet, and India is a good place for many. I believe expat fit into two major categories, the wanted and the unwanted. I am not sure about myself, I have am homeless and have traveled perpetually for over 10 years, I think I am the unwanted.
Posted by: Tesla K20 | Friday, February 22, 2013 at 11:33 PM
Where are you now, Tesla?
Posted by: Shouting Thomas | Saturday, February 23, 2013 at 09:20 AM